Tobacco rod, aerosol-generating article including the same, and aerosol generation device used therewith

ABSTRACT

A tobacco rod, an aerosol-generating article including the same, and an aerosol generation device used with the aerosol-generating article are provided. The tobacco rod according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavity segment which is formed by the first filter segment and the second filter segment and filled with a tobacco material. Here, at least one of the first filter segment and the second filter segment may include a paper material that is grease-resistant or water-resistant. Accordingly, a problem that vapor production is decreased due to moisture absorption from components of smoke can be addressed, and a heat-resistant tobacco rod can be manufactured.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a tobacco rod, an aerosol-generatingarticle including the same, and an aerosol generation device usedtherewith, and more particularly, to a tobacco rod which isheat-resistant and incorporates a design for preventing a decrease invapor production, an aerosol-generating article including the tobaccorod, and an aerosol generation device used with the article.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, demand for alternative articles that overcome thedisadvantages of traditional cigarettes has increased. For example,demand for devices that electrically heat a cigarette stick to generatean aerosol (e.g., cigarette-type electronic cigarettes) has increased.Accordingly, active research has been carried out on electricheating-type aerosol generation devices and cigarette sticks (oraerosol-generating articles) applied thereto.

Meanwhile, reconstituted tobacco leaves are mostly used as a tobaccomaterial of the cigarette sticks, and shredded tobacco leaves are alsoused occasionally. Recently, using a tobacco material in a granular formhas been proposed. For example, mounting a cartridge containing tobaccogranules on an aerosol generation device to perform smoking has beenproposed.

However, cartridge-type products have disadvantages in that they areless familiar to consumers than cigarette sticks, are not able toprovide the same smoking sensation as cigarette sticks, and cause anincrease in manufacturing costs.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing atobacco rod which is heat-resistant and incorporates a design that canprevent a decrease in vapor production and an aerosol-generating articleincluding the tobacco rod.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are also directed toproviding a tobacco rod which incorporates a structural design that canprevent fall-off of tobacco granules and an aerosol-generating articleincluding the tobacco rod.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are also directed toproviding an aerosol-generating article designed to allow a plurality oftobacco granules to be uniformly heated.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are also directed toproviding an aerosol generation device capable of effectively heatingthe aerosol-generating article.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are also directed toproviding an aerosol generation device capable of operating in a setmode among a smokeless mode and a smoking mode and an aerosol-generatingarticle that can be used with the aerosol generation device.

Objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to theabove-mentioned objectives, and other unmentioned objectives should beclearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which thepresent disclosure pertains from the description below.

Technical Solution

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tobacco rodincluding a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavitysegment which is formed by the first filter segment and the secondfilter segment and filled with a tobacco material, wherein at least oneof the first filter segment and the second filter segment includes apaper material that is grease-resistant or water-resistant.

In some embodiments, the paper material may be a material whosemeasurement value according to 3M Kit Test is 5 or more. In someembodiments, both the first filter segment and the second filter segmentmay include the paper material that is grease-resistant orwater-resistant.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material may include tobacco granules.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol-generatingarticle that is used with an aerosol generation device, theaerosol-generating article including: a tobacco rod including a firstfilter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavity segment which isformed by the first filter segment and the second filter segment andfilled with a tobacco material; and a filter rod, wherein at least oneof the first filter segment and the second filter segment includes apaper material that is grease-resistant or water-resistant.

In some embodiments, the filter rod may include a cooling segment and amouthpiece segment.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generation device may include acartridge configured to store an aerosol-forming agent and a cartridgeheater part configured to heat the cartridge to generate an aerosol, andthe aerosol generation device may have an airflow path formed to allowthe generated aerosol to pass through the aerosol-generating article.

Advantageous Effects

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a cavitysegment may be formed by filter segments located upstream and downstreamof a tobacco rod, and the cavity segment may be filled with tobaccogranules. Accordingly, a tobacco rod that can prevent fall-off oftobacco granules can be easily manufactured.

Also, the filter segments of the tobacco rod may include a papermaterial. Since changes in physical properties of the filter segmentsdue to heating by a heater part hardly occur, the tobacco rod may besuitable for manufacturing a heating-type aerosol-generating article.

Also, the filter segments of the tobacco rod may include a papermaterial that is grease-resistant or water-resistant. In this case, itis possible to address a problem that vapor production is decreased dueto moisture absorption by a paper material.

Also, an aerosol-generating article which includes a tobacco rod filledwith tobacco granules and an aerosol generation device used with theaerosol-generating article may be provided. The providedaerosol-generating article can, by using the tobacco granules, provide asmoking sensation similar to when smoking other heating-type cigarettes.

Also, the tobacco rod may be designed so that a vortex is generatedinside the cavity segment upon a puff. In this case, since the generatedvortex allows the tobacco granules to be mixed well and heated, theplurality of tobacco granules can be uniformly heated, and as a result,a tobacco smoke taste can be enhanced while a burnt taste is reduced.

Also, the heater part of the aerosol generation device may heat only thecavity segment or have a structure in which heating is simultaneouslyperformed from the inside and outside. Accordingly, the tobacco granulesfilled in the cavity segment can be effectively heated.

The advantageous effects according to the technical spirit of thepresent disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and otherunmentioned advantageous effects should be clearly understood by thoseof ordinary skill in the art from the description below.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating an aerosolgeneration device according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are exemplary views schematically illustrating aerosolgeneration devices according to some other embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which the aerosol generation deviceaccording to some other embodiments of the present disclosure operatesin a smokeless mode.

FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which the aerosol generation deviceaccording to some other embodiments of the present disclosure operatesin a smoking mode.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating a tobacco rodaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are exemplary views schematically illustrating anaerosol-generating article according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary view for describing how a vortex is generated inthe aerosol-generating article and conditions therefor according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary view for describing a heating structure of aheater part according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary view for describing a heating structure of aheater part according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is an exemplary view for describing a heating structure of aheater part according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is an exemplary view for describing a heating structure of aheater part according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views showing experimental results on the influenceof the size of tobacco granules on the generation of a vortex.

FIGS. 16 to 18 are views showing experimental results on the influenceof the filling rate of tobacco granules on the generation of a vortex.

FIGS. 19 to 21 are views showing experimental results on the influenceof the thickness and shape of an internal heating element on the degreeof damage to a filter segment.

MODES OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods ofachieving the same should become clear from embodiments described indetail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, thetechnical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited to thefollowing embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms.The following embodiments only make the technical spirit of the presentdisclosure complete and are provided to completely inform those ofordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains ofthe scope of the disclosure. The technical spirit of the presentdisclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.

In assigning reference numerals to components of each drawing, it shouldbe noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the samecomponents where possible even when the components are illustrated indifferent drawings. Also, in describing the present disclosure, whendetailed description of a known related configuration or function isdeemed as having the possibility of obscuring the gist of the presentdisclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical or scientificterms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonlyunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shouldnot be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expresslyso defined herein. Terms used in this specification are for describingthe embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Inthis specification, a singular expression includes a plural expressionunless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Also, in describing components of the present disclosure, terms such asfirst, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. Such terms are only usedfor distinguishing one component from another component, and theessence, order, sequence, or the like of the corresponding component isnot limited by the terms. In a case in which a certain component isdescribed as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked” to anothercomponent, it should be understood that, although the component may bedirectly connected or linked to the other component, still anothercomponent may also be “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked” between thetwo components.

The terms “comprises” and/or “comprising” used herein do not precludethe possibility of presence or addition of one or more components,steps, operations, and/or devices other than those mentioned.

Prior to description of various embodiments of the present disclosure,some terms used in the following embodiments will be clarified.

In the following embodiments, the term “aerosol-forming agent” may referto a material that can facilitate formation of visible smoke and/or anaerosol. Examples of the aerosol-forming agent may include glycerin(GLY), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol,diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleylalcohol, but the aerosol-forming agent is not limited thereto. The term“aerosol-forming agent” may be interchangeably used with the term“moisturizer” or “wetting agent” in the art.

In the following embodiments, the term “aerosol-forming substrate” mayrefer to a material that is able to form an aerosol. The aerosol mayinclude a volatile compound. The aerosol-forming substrate may be asolid or liquid.

For example, solid aerosol-forming substrates may include solidmaterials based on tobacco raw materials such as reconstituted tobaccoleaves, shredded tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco, and liquidaerosol-forming substrates may include liquid compositions based onnicotine, tobacco extracts, and/or various flavoring agents. However,the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-listedexamples. The aerosol-forming substrate may further include anaerosol-forming agent in order to stably form visible smoke and/or anaerosol.

In the following embodiments, the term “aerosol generation device” mayrefer to a device that generates an aerosol using an aerosol-formingsubstrate in order to generate an aerosol that can be inhaled directlyinto the user's lungs through the user's mouth. Some examples of theaerosol generation device will be described below with reference toFIGS. 1 to 3 .

In the following embodiments, the term “aerosol-generating article” mayrefer to an article that is able to generate an aerosol. Theaerosol-generating article may include an aerosol-forming substrate. Atypical example of the aerosol-generating article may include acigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limitedthereto.

In the following embodiments, the terms “upstream” and “upstreamdirection” may refer to a direction moving away from an oral region of auser (smoker), and “downstream” or “downstream direction” may refer to adirection approaching the oral region of the user. The terms “upstream”and “downstream” may be used to describe relative positions ofcomponents constituting an aerosol-generating article. For example, inan aerosol-generating article 2 illustrated in FIG. 7 , a tobacco rod 21is disposed upstream from or in an upstream direction of a filter rod22, and the filter rod 22 is disposed downstream from or in a downstreamdirection of the tobacco rod 21.

In the following embodiments, the term “puff” refers to inhalation by auser, and the inhalation may be a situation in which a user draws smokeinto his or her oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs through the mouth ornose.

In the following embodiments, the term “longitudinal direction” mayrefer to a direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis of anaerosol-generating article.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary view for describing an aerosol generation device1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Inparticular, FIG. 1 and so on illustrate an example in which anaerosol-generating article 2 is inserted (accommodated) in the aerosolgeneration device 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the aerosol generation device 1 according tothe present embodiment may include a housing, a heater part 13, abattery 11, and a controller 12. However, only the components relatingto the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 1 .Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains should understand that the aerosol generation device1 may further include general-purpose components other than thecomponents illustrated in FIG. 1 . For example, the aerosol generationdevice 1 may further include an input module (e.g., a button, atouchable display, etc.) for receiving a command or the like from a userand an output module (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), a display, avibration motor, etc.) configured to output information such as a stateof the device or smoking information of the device. Hereinafter, eachcomponent of the aerosol generation device 1 will be described.

The housing may form an exterior of the aerosol generation device 1.Also, the housing may form an accommodation space for accommodating theaerosol-generating article 2. The housing may be implemented using amaterial that can protect components therein.

Next, the heater part 13 may heat the aerosol-generating article 2accommodated in the accommodation space. Specifically, when theaerosol-generating article 2 is accommodated in the accommodation spaceof the aerosol generation device 1, the heater part 13 may heat theaerosol-generating article 2 using power supplied from the battery 11.

The heater part 13 may be configured in various forms and/or ways.

For example, the heater part 13 may be configured to include anelectrically-resistive heating element. For example, the heater part 13may include an electrically insulating substrate (e.g., a substrateformed of polyimide) and an electrically conductive track, and theheating element configured to generate heat as current flows may beincluded in the electrically conductive track. However, the scope of thepresent disclosure is not limited to the above example, and the heaterpart 13 may be configured in any other way as long as the heater part130 can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desiredtemperature may be preset in the aerosol generation device 1 (e.g., atemperature profile may be pre-stored therein) or may be set by theuser.

As another example, the heater part 13 may be configured to include aheating element that operates using an induction heating method.Specifically, the heater part 13 may include an inductor (e.g., aninduction coil) for heating the aerosol-generating article 2 by theinduction heating method and a susceptor inductively heated by theinduction coil. The susceptor may be disposed outside theaerosol-generating article 2 or inside the aerosol-generating article 2.

Also, for example, the heater part 13 may be configured to include aheating element (hereinafter referred to as “internal heating element”)configured to heat the aerosol-generating article 2 from the inside, aheating element (hereinafter referred to as “external heating element”)configured to heat the aerosol-generating article 2 from the outside, ora combination thereof. For example, the internal heating element may betubular, needle-shaped, rod-shaped, or the like and disposed to passthrough at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 2, and theexternal heating element may be plate-shaped, cylindrical, or the likeand disposed to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generatingarticle 2. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the shapes of the heating elements, the number of heatingelements, the arrangement form of the heating elements, and the like maybe designed in various ways. In order to avoid repeated description, theheating structure of the heater part 13 will be described in more detailbelow with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 .

Next, the battery 11 may supply power used to operate the aerosolgeneration device 1. For example, the battery 11 may supply power toallow the heater part 13 to heat the aerosol-generating article 2 andmay also supply power necessary to operate the controller 12.

Also, the battery 11 may supply power necessary to operate electriccomponents such as a display (not illustrated), a sensor (notillustrated), and a motor (not illustrated) that are installed in theaerosol generation device 1.

Next, the controller 12 may control the overall operation of the aerosolgeneration device 1. For example, the controller 12 may control theoperation of the heater part 13 and the battery 11 and may also controlthe operation of other components included in the aerosol generationdevice 1. The controller 12 may control the power supplied by thebattery 11, a heating temperature of the heater part 13, and the like.Also, the controller 12 may check a state of each of the components ofthe aerosol generation device 1 and determine whether the aerosolgeneration device 1 is in an operable state.

The controller 12 may be implemented with at least one controller(processor). The controller may also be implemented with an array of aplurality of logic gates or implemented with a combination of ageneral-purpose microcontroller and a memory which stores a program thatmay be executed by the microcontroller. Also, those of ordinary skill inthe art to which the present disclosure pertains should understand thatthe controller 12 may also be implemented with other forms of hardware.

The aerosol-generating article 2 may have a structure similar to that ofa general combustion-type cigarette. For example, the aerosol-generatingarticle 2 may be divided into a first part (e.g., a tobacco rod) whichincludes a tobacco material (or an aerosol-forming substrate) and asecond part (e.g., a filter rod) which includes a filter or the like.The entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol generation device1, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively,only a portion of the first part may be inserted into the aerosolgeneration device 1, or the entire first part and a portion of thesecond part may be inserted into the aerosol generation device 1. Theuser may smoke while holding the second part in his or her mouth.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article 2 may include atobacco rod filled with a tobacco material (e.g., tobacco granules). Forexample, a cavity formed in the tobacco rod may be filled with tobaccogranules. In order to avoid repeated description, the tobacco rod willbe described below with reference to FIG. 6 . Also, theaerosol-generating article 2 according to the present embodiment will bedescribed below with reference to FIG. 7 and so on.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments, the aerosol generation device 1 may havea smokeless function (that is, a function in which visible smoke is notgenerated or minimized during use). Also, the aerosol-generating article2 may be devised to implement the smokeless function. Specifically, theaerosol-generating article 2 may be an article filled with tobaccogranules, and the aerosol generation device 1 may operate to heat theaerosol-generating article 2 at a heating temperature lower than orequal to about 270° C. In this case, visible smoke may not be generatedduring smoking, or generation of visible smoke may be minimized. This isbecause the moisture content and/or an aerosol-forming agent content inthe tobacco granules is significantly less than that in other types oftobacco materials such as shredded tobacco (e.g., shredded tobaccoleaves, shredded reconstituted tobacco leaves) and reconstituted tobaccoleaves, and thus the tobacco granules are able to reduce generation ofvisible smoke. Also, this is because, with the tobacco granules, asufficient tobacco smoke taste can be expressed (that is, nicotine canbe sufficiently transferred) at a lower heating temperature as comparedto other types of tobacco materials such as shredded tobacco andreconstituted tobacco leaves (e.g., a heating temperature of shreddedtobacco is usually 270° C. or higher), and thus the heating temperatureof the heater part 130 can be lowered, and as the heating temperature islowered, generation of visible smoke can be further reduced. Accordingto the present embodiment, as the smokeless function is provided, theuser can use the aerosol generation device regardless of location orenvironment, and thus user convenience can be significantly improved.The present embodiment will be described in more detail together withthe structure of the aerosol-generating article 2 with reference to FIG.7 and so on.

Hereinafter, other types of aerosol generation devices 1 will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 . However, for clarity of thepresent disclosure, description of content overlapping with the previousembodiment will be omitted.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views for describing aerosol generation devices 1according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the aerosol generation device 1according to the present embodiment may further include a cartridge 15and a cartridge heater part 14. FIG. 2 illustrates a case in which theheater part 13 (or the aerosol-generating article 2) and the cartridgeheater part 14 are disposed in series, and FIG. 3 illustrates a case inwhich the heater part 13 (or the aerosol-generating article 2) and thecartridge heater part 14 are disposed in parallel. However, an internalstructure of the aerosol generation device 1 is not limited to theexamples of FIGS. 2 and 3 , and the arrangement of the components may bechanged in any way.

The cartridge 15 may include a liquid reservoir and a liquid transfermeans. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and thecartridge 15 may further include another component. Also, the cartridge15 may be manufactured to be attachable to or detachable from thecartridge heater part 14 or may be integrally manufactured with thecartridge heater part 14.

The liquid reservoir may store a liquid composition. For example, theliquid composition may be a liquid including a tobacco-containingmaterial (or a nicotine-containing material) or may be a liquidincluding a non-tobacco material. For example, the liquid compositionmay include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract (e.g., a tobaccoextract), nicotine, a flavoring, an aerosol-forming agent, a flavoringagent, or a vitamin mixture. The flavoring may include menthol,peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavor components, and the likebut is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include a componentthat can provide various flavors or tastes to the user. The vitaminmixture may be a mixture of one or more of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitaminC, and vitamin E but is not limited thereto. Also, examples of theaerosol-forming agent may include glycerin or propylene glycol, but theaerosol-forming agent is not limited thereto.

Next, the liquid transfer means may transfer the liquid compositionstored in the liquid reservoir to the cartridge heater part 14. Forexample, the liquid transfer means may be a wick component made of acotton fiber, a ceramic fiber, a glass fiber, and a porous ceramic, butthe liquid transfer means is not limited thereto.

Next, the cartridge heater part 14 may heat a liquid aerosol-formingsubstrate (e.g., a liquid composition) stored in the cartridge 15 toform an aerosol. For example, the cartridge heater part 14 may heat aliquid composition, which is transferred thereto by the liquid transfermeans, to form an aerosol. The formed aerosol may pass through theaerosol-generating article 2 and be delivered to the user. In otherwords, the aerosol formed due to heating by the cartridge heater part 14may move along an airflow path of the aerosol generation device 1, andthe airflow path may be configured to allow the formed aerosol to passthrough the aerosol-generating article 2 and be delivered to the user.The operation, heating temperature, and the like of the cartridge heaterpart 14 may be controlled by the controller 12.

For example, the cartridge heater part 14 may be a metal hot wire, ametal hot plate, a ceramic heater part, or the like but is not limitedthereto. Also, for example, the cartridge heater part 14 may consist ofa conductive filament such as a nichrome wire and may be disposed tohave a structure that is wound around the liquid transfer means.However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For reference, the terms “cartridge heater part” and “cartridge” may beinterchangeably used with the term “cartomizer,” “atomizer,” or“vaporizer” in the art.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, theaerosol generation device 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 or 3 may operate in asmokeless mode or a smoking mode. Specifically, the aerosol generationdevice 1 may operate in a set mode among the smokeless mode and thesmoking mode, and the operation mode may be set by the user.Hereinafter, each operation mode and the operation of the aerosolgeneration device 1 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 4and 5 .

As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the smokeless mode may be a mode in which anaerosol is generated by the aerosol generation device 1 but visiblesmoke is not generated (or generation of visible smoke is minimized). Inorder to implement the smokeless mode, the controller 12 may operateonly the heater part 13 while not operating the cartridge heater part14. In other words, in response to determination that the set mode isthe smokeless mode, the controller 12 may operate only the heater part13. In this case, the cartridge 15 is not heated, and only theaerosol-generating article 2 is heated, and thus generation of visiblesmoke during use of the device can be prevented. Specifically, theliquid stored in the cartridge 15, when heated, generates an aerosolincluding visible smoke, but since heating of the liquid is prevented,generation of visible smoke can also be prevented.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , the smoking mode may be a mode in whichan aerosol is generated by the aerosol generation device 1 and visiblesmoke is also generated. The smoking mode may be implemented in variousways, and a specific way of implementing the smoking mode may varyaccording to embodiments.

In some embodiments, the controller 12 may operate both the cartridgeheater part 14 and the heater part 13. In this case, by an aerosolincluding visible smoke being formed as the liquid stored in thecartridge 15 is heated, and the formed aerosol being released throughthe aerosol-generating article 2, the smoking mode can be implemented.Here, the heating temperature of the heater part 13 may be set to belower than that in the smokeless mode. This is because, in the smokingmode, a high-temperature aerosol formed in the cartridge 15 passesthrough the aerosol-generating article 2, and thus a sufficient tobaccosmoke taste can be ensured even when the aerosol-generating article 2 isheated at a relatively low temperature. For example, the heatingtemperature of the heater part 13 may be about 230° C. or higher (e.g.,about 230° C. to 270° C.) in the smokeless mode and may be lower thanabout 230° C. (e.g., about 220° C.) in the smoking mode.

In some other embodiments, the controller 12 may operate only thecartridge heater part 14. This is because an aerosol including visiblesmoke is formed even when only the cartridge 15 is heated. In order toform an aerosol having a higher temperature, the heating temperature ofthe cartridge heater part 14 according to the present embodiment may behigher than the heating temperature in the previous embodiment.

The aerosol generation devices 1 according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure have been described above with reference to FIGS. 1to 5 . Hereinafter, the tobacco rod 21 according to some embodiments ofthe present disclosure and the aerosol-generating article 2 includingthe same will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and so on.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating the tobacco rod21 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 , the tobacco rod 21 may be a tobacco rodincluding a cavity or a cavity segment 212 and may, when heated, supplytobacco components (or tobacco smoke taste components) such as nicotine.

As illustrated, the tobacco rod 21 may include a first filter segment211, a second filter segment 213, and the cavity segment 212 formed bythe first filter segment 211 and the second filter segment 213. Also,the cavity segment 212 may be filled with a tobacco material 214. FIG. 6illustrates an example in which the tobacco material 214 has a granularform, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.However, hereinafter, in order to provide convenience of understanding,description will be continued assuming that the cavity segment 212 isfilled with tobacco granules 214. The tobacco rod 21 may further includea wrapper wrapped around the rod.

The first filter segment 211 may be a filter segment forming the cavitysegment 212 and may be disposed downstream of the cavity segment 212.The first filter segment 211 may also perform an aerosol filteringfunction, an aerosol cooling function, and the like in addition to acavity forming function.

In some embodiments, the first filter segment 211 may include a papermaterial. In other words, the first filter segment 211 may be made of apaper filter. In order to easily secure an airflow path, the papermaterial may be arranged in the longitudinal direction. However, thepresent disclosure is not limited thereto. According to the presentembodiment, the tobacco rod 21 suitable for the heating-type aerosolgeneration device 1 may be manufactured. Specifically, a celluloseacetate fiber melts or contracts when heated to a certain temperature orhigher and thus is difficult to apply to a portion of the tobacco rodthat is heated by the heater part 13. On the other hand, the papermaterial is hardly denatured due to heat and thus may be easily appliedto the portion of the tobacco rod, and in this way, the tobacco rod 21suitable for the heating-type aerosol generation device 1 can bemanufactured. However, in some other embodiments, the first filtersegment 211 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter. In this case, itis possible to achieve an effect of improving removability of the firstfilter segment 211.

Also, in some embodiments, the first filter segment 211 may include apaper material that is water-resistant or grease-resistant. In thiscase, a problem that components of smoke (e.g., moisture, anaerosol-forming agent) contained in an aerosol are absorbed whilepassing through the first filter segment 211 and cause a decrease invisible vapor production can be significantly alleviated. For example,in a case in which the first filter segment 211 includes a general papermaterial, due to the paper material having a property of absorbingmoisture, the above-mentioned components of smoke may be absorbed, andthus visible vapor production may decrease. However, when thewater-resistant or grease-resistant paper material is applied, since theabsorption of the components of smoke hardly occurs, the problem ofvapor production reduction can be addressed.

Also, in some embodiments, the resistance to draw of the first filtersegment 211 or the second filter segment 213 may be in a range of about50 mmH₂O/60 mm to 150 mmH₂O/60 mm, and preferably in a range of about 50mmH₂O/60 mm to 130 mmH₂O/60 mm, in a range of about 50 mmH₂O/60 mm to120 mmH₂O/60 mm, in a range of about 50 mmH₂O/60 mm to 110 mmH₂O/60 mm,in a range of about 50 mmH₂O/60 mm to 100 mmH₂O/60 mm, in a range ofabout 50 mmH₂O/60 mm to 90 mmH₂O/60 mm, in a range of about 50 mmH₂O/60mm to 80 mmH₂O/60 mm, or in a range of about 50 mmH₂O/60 mm to 70mmH₂O/60 mm. Within such numerical ranges, a suitable inhaling sensationcan be ensured. Also, the probability of generation of a vortex in thecavity segment 212 may be increased due to the suitable inhalingsensation, and thus an effect of uniformly heating the plurality oftobacco granules 214 can be achieved. This will be further describedbelow with reference to FIG. 9 . Also, it was confirmed that suitablevapor production is ensured within the above numerical ranges when thefilter segments 211 and 213 are paper filters.

Next, the second filter segment 213 may be a filter segment forming thecavity segment 212 and may be disposed upstream of the cavity segment212. The second filter segment 213 may also perform a function ofpreventing fall-off of the tobacco granules 214. In addition, in a casein which the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the aerosolgeneration device 1, the second filter segment 213 may allow the cavitysegment 212 to be disposed at a suitable position in the aerosolgeneration device 1. Also, the second filter segment 213 may prevent thetobacco rod 21 from being detached and also prevent a liquefied aerosolfrom flowing from the tobacco rod 21 to the aerosol generation device 1during smoking.

In some embodiments, the second filter segment 213 may include a papermaterial. In other words, the second filter segment 213 may be made of apaper filter. In order to easily secure an airflow path, the papermaterial may be arranged in the longitudinal direction. However, thepresent disclosure is not limited thereto. According to the presentembodiment, the tobacco rod 21 may be manufactured to be suitable forthe heating-type aerosol generation device 1. Specifically, a celluloseacetate fiber melts or contracts upon contact with an internal heatingelement and thus may accelerate fall-off of the tobacco granules 214.However, a heat-resistant paper material can significantly mitigate sucha phenomenon.

Also, in some embodiments, the second filter segment 213 may include apaper material that is water-resistant or grease-resistant. In thiscase, as mentioned above, the problem that the visible vapor productionis decreased can be significantly alleviated.

Meanwhile, the paper material included in the filter segments 211 and213 may have various physical properties.

In some embodiments, when measured with a 3M Kit Test, grease resistanceof the paper material may be about 4 or more (that is, about 4 or morein a range of 1 to 12), and preferably greater than or equal to about 5,6, 7, or 8. Within such numerical ranges, the problem that visible vaporproduction (that is, the amount of visible smoke generated) is decreaseddue to moisture absorption by the paper material (e.g., visible vaporproduction decreases in the smoking mode) can be addressed.

Also, in some embodiments, a thickness of the paper material may be in arange of about 30 μm to 50 μm, and preferably in a range of about 33 μmto 47 μm, in a range of about 35 μm to 45 μm, or in a range of about 37μm to 42 μm.

Also, in some embodiments, a basis weight of the paper material may bein a range of about 20 g/m² to 40 g/m², and preferably in a range ofabout 23 g/m² to 37 g/m², in a range of about 25 g/m² to 35 g/m², or ina range of about 27 g/m² to 33 g/m^(2.)

Also, in some embodiments, a tensile strength of the paper material maybe about 2.5 kgf/15 mm or higher, and preferably higher than or equal toabout 2.8 kgf/15 mm, 3.2 kgf/15 mm, or 3.5 kgf/15 mm.

Also, in some embodiments, an elongation of the paper material may beabout 0.8% or higher, and preferably higher than or equal to about 1.0%,1.2%, or about 1.5%.

Also, in some embodiments, a bending stiffness of the paper material maybe about 100 cm³ or higher, and preferably higher than or equal to about120 cm³, 150 cm³, or 180 cm^(3.)

Also, in some embodiments, the ash content of the paper material may beabout 1.5% or lower, and preferably lower than or equal to about 1.2%,1.0%, or 0.8%.

Also, in some embodiments, a paper width of the paper material may be ina range of about 80 mm to 250 mm, and preferably in a range of about 90mm to 230 mm, in a range of about 100 mm to 200 mm, in a range of about120 mm to 180 mm, or in a range of about 120 mm to 150 mm. It wasconfirmed that within such numerical ranges, the filter segments 211 and213 have suitable resistance to draw, and suitable vapor production isensured.

Next, the cavity segment 212 may be a segment including a cavity and maybe disposed between the first filter segment 211 and the second filtersegment 213. That is, the cavity segment 212 may be formed by the firstfilter segment 211 and the second filter segment 213.

The cavity segment 212 may be manufactured in various ways. As anexample, the cavity segment 212 may be manufactured in a form thatincludes a tubular structure such as a paper tube. As another example,the cavity segment 212 may be manufactured by wrapping a cavity, whichis formed by the two filter segments 211 and 213, with a wrapper made ofa suitable material. However, the scope of the present disclosure is notlimited thereto, and the cavity segment 212 may be manufactured in anyother way as long as the cavity segment 212 can be filled with thetobacco granules 214.

A length of the cavity segment 212 may be freely selected from a rangeof about 8 mm to 12 mm, but the scope of the present disclosure is notlimited to such a numerical range.

For example, the cavity segment 212 may be filled with the tobaccogranules 214. With the tobacco granules 214, a sufficient tobacco smoketaste can be expressed at a lower heating temperature as compared toother types of tobacco materials (e.g., shredded tobacco leaves,reconstituted tobacco leaves, etc.), and thus power consumption of theheater part 13 can be reduced. Further, since it is easier to reduce themoisture content and/or the aerosol-forming agent content in the tobaccogranules 214 than in other types of tobacco materials (e.g., shreddedtobacco leaves, reconstituted tobacco leaves, etc.) (that is, it is easyto produce tobacco granules with low moisture content or lowaerosol-forming agent content), when the illustrated tobacco rod 21 isused, an aerosol-generating article (e.g., 2 of FIG. 7 or 8 ) that canimplement the smokeless function of the aerosol generation device 1 canbe easily manufactured.

The tobacco granules 214 may have various diameters, densities, fillingrates, composition ratios of constituents, heating temperatures, and thelike, and values thereof may vary according to embodiments.

In some embodiments, a diameter of the tobacco granules 214 may be in arange of about 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm. Within such numerical ranges, asuitable hardness and ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 214may be ensured, and the probability of generation of a vortex in thecavity segment 212 may increase. The vortex generation will be furtherdescribed below with reference to FIG. 9 .

Also, in some embodiments, a size of the tobacco granules 214 may be ina range of about 15 mesh to 50 mesh, and preferably in a range of about15 mesh to 45 mesh, in a range of about 20 mesh to 45 mesh, in a rangeof about 25 mesh to 45 mesh, or in a range of about 25 mesh to 40 mesh.Within such numerical ranges, a suitable hardness and ease ofmanufacture of the tobacco granules 214 may be ensured, the fall-off ofthe tobacco granules 214 may be minimized, and the probability ofgeneration of a vortex in the cavity segment 212 may increase.

Also, in some embodiments, a density of the tobacco granules 214 may bein a range of about 0.5 g/cm³ to 1.2 g/cm³, and preferably in a range of0.6 g/cm³ to 1.0 g/cm^(3, 0.7) g/cm³ to 0.9 g/cm³, or 0.6 g/cm³ to 0.8g/cm³. Within such numerical ranges, a suitable hardness of the tobaccogranules 214 may be ensured, and the probability of generation of avortex in the cavity segment 212 may increase. The vortex generationwill be further described below with reference to FIG. 9 .

Also, in some embodiments, a hardness of the tobacco granules 214 may beabout 80% or higher, preferably higher than or equal to 85% or 90%, andmore preferably higher than or equal to 91%, 93%, 95%, or 97%. Withinsuch numerical ranges, ease of manufacture of the tobacco granules 214may be improved, and breakage of the tobacco granules 214 may beminimized such that ease of manufacture of the aerosol-generatingarticle 2 may also be improved. In the present embodiment, the hardnessof the tobacco granules 214 may be a value measured on the basis ofKSM-1802 (“activated carbon test method”), which is a national standardtest method. Reference should be made to the national standard,KSM-1802, for details of a method of measuring the hardness and themeanings of measured values.

Also, in some embodiments, a filling rate of the tobacco granules 214 inthe cavity segment 212 may be about 80 vol % or lower, and preferablylower than or equal to about 70 vol %, 60 vol %, or 50 vol %. Withinsuch numerical ranges, the probability of generation of a vortex in thecavity segment 212 may increase. The vortex generation will be furtherdescribed below with reference to FIG. 9 . Also, in order to guarantee asuitable tobacco smoke taste, the filling rate of the tobacco granules214 may be higher than or equal to about 20 vol %, 30 vol %, or about 40vol %.

Also, in some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 may include moistureat about 20 wt % or lower, and preferably lower than or equal to about15 wt %, 12 wt %, 10 wt %, 7 wt %, or 5 wt %. Within such numericalranges, generation of visible smoke may be significantly reduced, andthe smokeless function of the aerosol generation device 1 may be easilyimplemented. However, in some other embodiments, the tobacco granules214 may include moisture higher than about 20 wt %.

Also, in some embodiments, the tobacco granules 214 may include anaerosol-forming agent at about 10 wt % or lower, and preferably about 7wt %, 5 wt %, 3 wt %, or 1 wt %. Alternatively, the tobacco granules 214may not include an aerosol-forming agent. Within the above numericalranges, generation of visible smoke may be significantly reduced, andthe smokeless function of the aerosol generation device 1 may be easilyimplemented. However, in some other embodiments, the tobacco granules214 may include an aerosol-forming agent higher than about 10 wt %.

Also, in some embodiments, a heating temperature of the tobacco granules214 may be lower than or equal to about 270° C., 260° C., 250° C., 240°C., or 230° C. In other words, the heater part 13 may heat the tobaccorod 21 at a heating temperature in the above numerical ranges. Withinsuch numerical ranges, it is possible to address a problem that a burnttaste develops due to the tobacco granules 214 being overheated.Further, this minimizes generation of visible smoke while ensuring asuitable tobacco smoke taste, and thus the smokeless function of theaerosol generation device 1 can be easily implemented. In more detail,while other types of tobacco materials such as shredded tobacco andreconstituted tobacco leaves can express a sufficient tobacco smoketaste only when heated to about 270° C. or higher, the tobacco granules214 can express a sufficient tobacco smoke taste even when heated to alower temperature, and thus power consumption of the heater part 13 canbe reduced, and generation of visible smoke can be easily suppressed.Also, due to such characteristics, the tobacco granules 214 may be moresuitable for implementing the smokeless function of the aerosolgeneration device 1 than other types of tobacco materials.

Also, in some embodiments, nicotine content on a wet basis in thetobacco granules 214 may be in a range of about 1.0% to 4.0%, andpreferably in a range of about 1.5% to 3.5%, 1.8% to 3.0%, or 2.0% to2.5%. Within such numerical ranges, an appropriate level of tobaccosmoke taste can be ensured.

Also, in some embodiments, nicotine content on a dry basis in thetobacco granules 214 may be in a range of about 1.2% to 4.2%, andpreferably in a range of about 1.7% to 3.7%, 2.0% to 3.2%, or 2.2% to2.7%. Within such numerical ranges, an appropriate level of tobaccosmoke taste can be ensured.

The tobacco rod 21 according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure has been described above with reference to FIG. 6 . Accordingto the above description, the cavity segment 212 may be formed by thetwo filter segments 211 and 213, and the cavity segment 212 may befilled with the tobacco granules 214. Accordingly, it is easy tomanufacture the tobacco rod 21 in which the fall-off of the tobaccogranules 214 can be minimized. Also, the filter segments 211 and 213 maybe made of paper filters. Since changes in physical properties of thefilter segments 211 and 213 hardly occur even when heated by the heaterpart 13, the tobacco rod 21 may be suitable for manufacturing theheating-type aerosol-generating article 2.

Hereinafter, embodiments relating to the aerosol-generating article 2including the tobacco rod 21 will be described, and for clarity of thepresent disclosure, description of the tobacco rod 21 will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating theaerosol-generating article 2 according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the aerosol-generating article 2 may includethe filter rod 22 and the tobacco rod 21. However, only the componentsrelating to the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated inFIG. 7 . Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art to which thepresent disclosure pertains should understand that theaerosol-generating article 2 may further include general-purposecomponents other than the components illustrated in FIG. 7 .Hereinafter, the filter rod 22 will be described.

The filter rod 22 may be disposed downstream of the tobacco rod 21 andperform an aerosol filtering function. To this end, the filter rod 22may include a filter material such as paper, a cellulose acetate fiber,or the like. The filter rod 22 may further include a wrapper wrappedaround the filter material.

The filter rod 22 may be manufactured in various shapes. For example,the filter rod 22 may be a cylindrical rod or may be a tubular rod whichincludes a hollow formed therein. Also, the filter rod 22 may be arecessed rod. In a case in which the filter rod 22 is made of aplurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may bemanufactured in a different shape.

The filter rod 22 may be manufactured to generate a flavor. As anexample, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter rod 22, and aseparate fiber having a flavoring liquid applied thereon may be insertedinto the filter rod 22. As another example, the filter rod 22 mayinclude at least one capsule (not illustrated) containing a flavoringliquid.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the filter rod 22 is made of asingle segment, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the filter rod 22 may also be made of a plurality ofsegments. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8 , the filter rod 22 maybe made of a cooling segment 222 configured to perform an aerosolcooling function and a mouthpiece segment 221 configured to perform anaerosol filtering function. Alternatively, in some cases, the filter rod22 may further include at least one segment configured to performanother function.

For reference, the cooling segment 222 may be manufactured in variousforms. For example, the cooling segment 222 may be manufactured in theform of a paper tube, a cellulose acetate filter having a hollow formedtherein, a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes formedtherein, a filter filled with a polymer material or biodegradablepolymer material, or the like. However, the form of the cooling segment222 is not limited thereto, and the cooling segment 222 may bemanufactured in any other form as long as the cooling segment 222 canperform an aerosol cooling function. The polymer material orbiodegradable polymer material may be a polylactic acid (PLA) wovenmaterial but is not limited thereto.

Also, for example, the mouthpiece segment 221 may be a cellulose acetatefilter (that is, a filter made of a cellulose acetate fiber) but is notlimited thereto. The above description of the filter rod 22 may alsoapply to the mouthpiece segment 221.

Meanwhile, although not clearly illustrated, the aerosol-generatingarticle 2 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper. As an example, theaerosol-generating article 2 may be wrapped by a single wrapper. Asanother example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be wrapped by twoor more wrappers that overlap each other. For example, the tobacco rod21 may be wrapped by a first wrapper, and the filter rod 22 may bewrapped by a second wrapper. Also, the wrapped tobacco rod 21 and filterrod 22 may be combined by a separate wrapper, and the entireaerosol-generating article 2 may be wrapped again by a third wrapper.When each of the tobacco rod 21 or the filter rod 22 is made of aplurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by a separatewrapper. Also, the entire aerosol-generating article 2 in which thesegments wrapped by separate wrappers are combined may be wrapped againby another wrapper. At least one hole through which outside air entersor an internal gas leaks may be formed in the wrapper.

The aerosol-generating article 2 according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure has been described above with reference to FIGS. 7and 8 . According to the above description, the aerosol-generatingarticle 2 filled with the tobacco granules 214 may be provided. Theaerosol-generating article 2 can provide a better smoking sensation anda better sense of familiarity to a user as compared to cartridge-typeproducts (that is, cartridge products filled with tobacco granules) andcan also reduce manufacturing costs.

Also, the aerosol-generating article 2 suitable for implementing thesmokeless function of the aerosol generation device 1 may be provided.Specifically, the aerosol-generating article 2 includes the tobacco rod21 filled with the tobacco granules 214, and since moisture contentand/or an aerosol-forming agent content in the tobacco granules 214 issignificantly lower than that in other types of tobacco materials suchas shredded tobacco (e.g., shredded tobacco leaves, shreddedreconstituted tobacco leaves) and reconstituted tobacco leaves,generation of visible smoke can be significantly reduced. Further, sincethe tobacco granules 214 are able to express a sufficient tobacco smoketaste even at a relatively low temperature as compared to the othertypes of tobacco materials, the heating temperature of the aerosolgeneration device 1 may be set to be relatively low, and due to theheating temperature being low, the generation of visible smoke can befurther reduced.

Meanwhile, the inventors of the present disclosure have confirmed that,when a specific condition is satisfied, a vortex is generated in thecavity segment 212 upon a puff, and due to the generated vortex, theplurality of tobacco granules 214 are mixed and uniformly heated.Hereinafter, how the vortex is generated and conditions therefor will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 9 .

FIG. 9 is an exemplary view for describing how the vortex is generatedin the aerosol-generating article 2 and conditions therefor according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure. In order to provideconvenience of understanding, FIG. 9 and so on illustrate only thetobacco rod 21 while excluding the filter rod 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 , when a specific condition is satisfied, anairflow (refer to dotted arrows) entering through the second filtersegment 213 due to a puff may form a vortex in the cavity segment 212.For example, as the airflow entering due to a puff meets the pluralityof tobacco granules 214 moving in a downstream direction due to thepuff, an irregular airflow may be formed, and thereby a vortex may begenerated. Also, due to the generated vortex, the plurality of tobaccogranules 214 may be mixed well and uniformly heated. For example, astobacco granules 214 heated more and tobacco granules 214 heated lessare mixed and the positions of the tobacco granules 214 change, aneffect of uniformly heating the plurality of tobacco granules 214 can beachieved. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a burnt taste andenhance a tobacco smoke taste during smoking.

In a continuous research process, the inventors of the presentdisclosure have confirmed that the above-described vortex generationoccurs and have confirmed through experiments that the probability ofvortex generation significantly increases under the followingconditions. Hereinafter, conditions for the vortex generation will bedescribed.

First, a first condition relates to a filling rate of the cavity segment212. This is because a sufficient empty space should be present in thecavity segment 212 for the plurality of tobacco granules 214 to easilymove and be mixed. According to experimental results, it was confirmedthat a vortex is generated well when a filling rate of the tobaccogranules 214 in the cavity segment 212 is about 80 vol % or lower, andit was confirmed that the probability of vortex generation furtherincreases when the filling rate of the tobacco granules 214 in thecavity segment 212 is about 70 vol % or lower.

Next, a second condition relates to a density of the tobacco granules214. This is because when the weight of the tobacco granules 214 is tooheavy, it is difficult for the tobacco granules 214 to move due to apuff or an airflow, and the tobacco granules 214 may act as strongresistance to the entering airflow. According to experimental results,it was confirmed that a vortex is generated well when the density of thetobacco granules 214 is about 1.2 g/cm³ or lower, and it was confirmedthat the probability of vortex generation further increases when thedensity of the tobacco granules 214 is about 1.0 g/cm³ or lower.

Next, a third condition relates to a diameter of the tobacco granules214. This is because the tobacco granules 214 may act as strongresistance to the entering airflow also when the diameter of the tobaccogranules 214 is too large. According to experimental results, it wasconfirmed that a vortex is generated well when the diameter of thetobacco granules 214 is about 1.2 mm or less, and it was confirmed thatthe probability of vortex generation further increases when the diameterof the tobacco granules 214 is about 1.0 mm or less.

Next, a fourth condition relates to resistance to draw of the firstfilter segment 211. This is because when the resistance to draw is toolow, false puffs may occur and an inhaling force caused by a puff maynot be delivered to the cavity segment 212. According to experimentalresults, it was confirmed that a vortex is generated well when theresistance to draw of the first filter segment 211 is about 50 mmH₂O/60mm or higher, and it was confirmed that the probability of vortexgeneration further increases when the resistance to draw of the firstfilter segment 211 is about 70 mmH₂O/60 mm or higher.

The conditions relating to how a vortex is generated have been describedabove with reference to FIG. 9 . Hereinafter, a heating structure of theheater part 13 according to some embodiments of the present disclosurewill be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 .

First, a heating structure of the heater part 13 according to a firstembodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG. 10 .

As illustrated in FIG. 10 , the heater part 13 according to the presentembodiment may be configured to include an external heating element 131,and the external heating element 131 may be disposed to heat only thecavity segment 212. For example, the external heating element 131 may bedisposed in a form that surrounds at least a portion of the cavitysegment 212.

In such a case, it is possible to address a problem that physicalproperties of the filter segments 211 and 213 change due to heat of theheater part 13 and a problem that visible vapor production (that is, theamount of visible smoke generated) is decreased due to moistureabsorption by the filter segments 211 and 213. For example, in a case inwhich the filter segments 211 and 213 are cellulose acetate filters, aproblem that a cellulose acetate fiber melts or contracts due to heat ofthe heater part 13 may occur, but this problem can be addressed. Asanother example, in a case in which the filter segments 211 and 213 arepaper filters, a problem that vapor production decreases in the smokingmode as moisture absorption by a paper material increases due to heat ofthe heater part 13 may occur, but this problem can also be addressed.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater part 13 according to asecond embodiment of the present disclosure will be described withreference to FIG. 11 . For clarity of the present disclosure,description of content overlapping with the previous embodiment will beomitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 11 , the heater part 13 according to the presentembodiment may be configured to include an external heating element 131.Also, the external heating element 131 may be disposed to heat only apart of the cavity segment 212 so that an unheated portion 215 is formedin the vicinity of a downstream end of the cavity segment 212. That is,the external heating element 131 may be disposed in a form thatsurrounds the cavity segment 212 except for the unheated portion 215thereof.

In such a case, heating efficiency of the heater part 13 can beimproved, and the probability of vortex generation can also be furtherincreased. Specifically, the power consumption is reduced due to adecrease in a heating area of the external heating element 131 whileperformance of heating the tobacco granules 214 is maintained, and thusthe heating efficiency can be improved. In other words, during smoking,most of the tobacco granules 214 are located at an upstream portion ofthe cavity segment 212 due to gravity, and since the external heatingelement 131 heats the upstream portion of the cavity segment 212 wheremost of the tobacco granules 214 are located, the amount of heatsubstantially transferred to the tobacco granules 214 may hardlydecrease even when the heating area is reduced. Further, a temperaturedifference may occur in the cavity segment 212, and thus the probabilityof vortex generation may increase. For example, due to a temperaturedifference in the cavity segment 212 (e.g., the upstream portion thereofis heated to a relatively higher temperature), an airflow in thedownstream direction may be promoted, and the probability of vortexgeneration may further increase.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments, the heater part 13 may be configured toinclude a first external heating element configured to heat the upstreamportion of the cavity segment 212 and a second external heating elementconfigured to heat a downstream portion of the cavity segment 212, andthe controller 12 may control a heating temperature of the firstexternal heating element to be higher than a heating temperature of thesecond external heating element. Even in this case, effects similar tothose described above can be achieved.

Also, in some embodiments, the heater part 13 may be configured toinclude a plurality of external heating elements configured to heatdifferent portions of the cavity segment 212 to different temperatures.For example, the heater part 13 may be configured to include a firstexternal heating element configured to heat a first portion of thecavity segment 212, a second external heating element configured to heata second portion of the cavity segment 212, and a third external heatingelement configured to heat a third portion of the cavity segment 212,and the controller 12 may operate the external heating elements atdifferent temperatures. In this case, since different portions of thecavity segment 212 are heated to different temperatures, an airflowinside the cavity segment 212 may become complicated, and thus theprobability of vortex generation may further increase.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater part 13 according to athird embodiment of the present disclosure will be described withreference to FIG. 12 .

As illustrated in FIG. 12 , the heater part 13 according to the presentembodiment may be configured to include an internal heating element 132and an external heating element 131. The heater part 13 maysimultaneously heat the cavity segment 212 from the inside and outsideusing the two heating elements 131 and 132 to uniformly heat theplurality of tobacco granules 214. However, a specific way ofimplementing the heater part 13 may vary.

As an example, the internal heating element 132 and the external heatingelement 131 may be implemented to be simultaneously controlled by thecontroller 12. Here, the two heating elements 131 and 132 may bemanufactured in a physically integrated form as illustrated or may bemanufactured to have separate forms. In any case, the complexity of acircuit configuration between the controller 12 and the heater part 13can be reduced.

As another example, the internal heating element 132 and the externalheating element 131 may be implemented to be independently controlled bythe controller 12. For example, the two heating elements 131 and 132 maybe manufactured to have separate forms and may be controlled todifferent temperatures by the controller 12. In this example, thecontroller 12 may operate the internal heating element 132 at a heatingtemperature lower than a heating temperature of the external heatingelement 131 or may operate the internal heating element 132 only undercertain conditions (e.g., operate the internal heating element 132 uponeach puff or operate the internal heating element 132 only during apreheating time, etc.). In this case, it is possible to significantlyalleviate a problem that a burnt taste develops due to the tobaccogranules 214 being overheated by the internal heating element 132. Forexample, it is possible to significantly alleviate a problem that aburnt taste develops as some of the tobacco granules 214 are heated dueto being in continuous contact with the internal heating element 132.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments, a thickness of the internal heatingelement 132 may be about 4.0 mm or less, and preferably less than orequal to about 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, or 2.0 mm. Within such numerical ranges,it is possible to easily address a problem that the tobacco rod 21 ispushed upon insertion of the internal heating element 132 or a filtersegment (e.g., 213) is damaged due to the internal heating element 132,and the fall-off of the tobacco granules 214 through a damaged portionof the filter segment (e.g., 213) can also be minimized. For example, ina case in which the second filter segment 213 is a paper filter and thethickness of the internal heating element 132 is thick, upon insertionof the internal heating element 132, a problem that the internal heatingelement 132 is blocked by a paper material and the tobacco rod 21 ispushed may occur. Alternatively, a problem that the second filtersegment 213 is severely damaged due to the internal heating element 132passing therethrough and the tobacco granules 214 fall off to theoutside through the damaged portion may also occur. However, it ispossible to address such problems when the thickness of the internalheating element 132 is within the above numerical ranges.

Also, in some embodiments, the internal heating element 132 may have asharp shape such as a semi-conical shape. In this case, damage to thesecond filter segment 213 due to the internal heating element 132 andthe fall-off of the tobacco granules 214 can be minimized.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater part 13 according to afourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described withreference to FIG. 13 .

As illustrated in FIG. 13 , the heater part 13 according to the presentembodiment may be configured to include an external heating element 131and a heat conduction element 133 configured to heat the inside of thetobacco rod 21. Here, the heat conduction element 133 may be made of athermally conductive material and disposed to thermally come intocontact with the external heating element 131 and may serve to transferheat generated in the external heating element 131 to the inside of thetobacco rod 21.

In such a case, since the tobacco granules 214 are heated by conductiveheat inside the cavity segment 212, it is possible to significantlyalleviate a problem that the tobacco granules 214 are overheated.Further, since only the external heating element 131 is connected via acircuit to the controller 12, the complexity of the circuitconfiguration can be reduced.

Hereinafter, a heating structure of the heater part 13 according to afifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

The heater part 13 according to the present embodiment may use aparticulate susceptor material (hereinafter referred to as “susceptorparticles”) to heat the cavity segment 212 by an induction heatingmethod. Specifically, the heater part 13 may be configured to include aninductor (e.g., an induction coil) for inductively heating a susceptormaterial, and a plurality of susceptor particles may be disposed insidethe cavity segment 212. In this case, since the tobacco granules 214 areheated as the plurality of susceptor particles are mixed with thetobacco granules 214 inside the cavity segment 212, the tobacco granules214 can be uniformly heated.

The susceptor particles may be disposed in various ways. For example,the susceptor particles may be filled in the cavity segment 212 togetherwith the tobacco granules 214. As another example, the susceptorparticles may constitute a portion of the tobacco granules 214.

For instance, by adding the susceptor particles when producing thetobacco granules 214, tobacco granules 214 including the susceptorparticles may be produced.

The heating structures of the heater part 13 according to the first tofifth embodiments of the present disclosure have been described abovewith reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 . The embodiments have been separatelydescribed in order to provide convenience of understanding, but theabove-described first to fifth embodiments may be combined in variousforms. For example, the heater part 13 according to some embodiments maybe configured to include an internal heating element and an externalheating element which is configured to heat only the cavity segment 212.

Hereinafter, the configurations and effects of the tobacco granules 214and/or the aerosol-generating article 2 will be described in more detailusing examples and experimental examples. However, the followingexamples are only some examples of the present disclosure, and the scopeof the present disclosure is not limited by the following examples.

Example 1

Tobacco granules having a size in a range of about 30 mesh to 45 meshwere produced, and the produced tobacco granules were added with afilling rate of about 75 vol % to manufacture a cigarette having astructure identical to the structure of the article 2 illustrated inFIG. 8 . As two filter segments (e.g., 211 and 213) constituting thetobacco rod (e.g., 21), filters made of a paper material having greaseresistance (grease resistance measured according to a 3M Kit Test) ofabout 2 were used.

Example 2

A cigarette identical to that of Example 1 was manufactured except thatfilters made of a paper material having grease resistance of about 6were used.

Example 3

A cigarette identical to that of Example 1 was manufactured except thattobacco granules had a size in a range of about 20 mesh to 30 mesh.

Example 4

A cigarette identical to that of Example 1 was manufactured except thattobacco granules were added with a filling rate of about 50 vol %.

Example 5

A cigarette identical to that of Example 1 was manufactured except thattobacco granules were added with a filling rate of about 100 vol %.

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of Influence of Grease Resistance ofPaper Material on Vapor Production

In order to evaluate an influence of grease resistance of a papermaterial added to the filter segments (e.g., 211 and 213) on vaporproduction, an experiment was conducted to analyze components of smokeof the cigarettes according to Examples 1 and 2 and measure totalparticulate matter (TPM) content in a smoking mode. Specifically, in asmoking room with a temperature of about 20° C. and humidity of about62.5%, a hybrid-type aerosol generation device such as that illustratedin FIG. 2 or the like was used to conduct a smoking experiment, thesmoke for component analysis was repeatedly collected three times foreach sample, based on eight puffs per time, and the TPM content wasmeasured using average values of three collection results. Theexperimental results are shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Classification TPM (mg/cigar) Example 1 37.23 Example 2 44.40

Referring to Table 1, the TPM content of the cigarette according toExample 2 (that is, the cigarette to which the paper material withhigher grease resistance was added) was found to be significantly higheras compared to Example 1. This is because the paper material with highergrease resistance does not absorb much moisture from an aerosol passingthrough the filter segments, thus increasing the amounts of anaerosol-forming agent and moisture being transferred. From suchexperimental results, it can be seen that vapor production can beincreased when a paper material with high grease resistance is added.

Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of Influence of Size of TobaccoGranules on Vortex Generation

In order to evaluate an influence of the size of tobacco granules ongeneration of a vortex inside a cavity segment (e.g., 212), a smokingexperiment was conducted using the cigarettes according to Examples 1 to3, and an experiment was conducted to check a degree to which thetobacco granules were agglomerated after smoking. This is because themore the vortex is generated inside the cavity segment (e.g., 212), themore evenly the tobacco granules are mixed, reducing agglomerationthereof, and thus the degree of agglomeration of the tobacco granulesafter smoking can be a measure of the degree of vortex generation. Theexperimental results are shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 . FIGS. 14 and 15 arepictures of the degree of agglomeration of the tobacco granules aftersmoking and show experimental results relating to Example 1 (in whichthe tobacco granules have a size in a range of about 30 mesh to 45 mesh)and Example 3 (in which the tobacco granules have a size in a range ofabout 20 mesh to 30 mesh), respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15 , it was found that the tobacco granulesaccording to Example 3 (that is, the tobacco granules having a largersize) were agglomerated more than the tobacco granules according toExample 1. That is, it was confirmed that, while the tobacco granulesaccording to Example 1 were relatively evenly spread, some of thetobacco granules according to Example 3 were strongly agglomerated. Thisis because the tobacco granules having a larger size act as strongerresistance to the entering airflow (e.g., the airflow can be blockedbetter due to an increase in weight, size, or the like of the tobaccogranules), thus decreasing the probability of vortex generation.

Experimental Example 3: Evaluation of Influence of Filling Rate ofTobacco Granules on Vortex Generation

In order to evaluate an influence of the filling rate of tobaccogranules on generation of a vortex inside the cavity segment (e.g.,212), a smoking experiment was conducted using the cigarettes accordingto Examples 1, 4, and 5, and an experiment was conducted to check adegree to which the tobacco granules were agglomerated after smoking.The experimental results are shown in FIGS. 16 to 18 . FIGS. 16, 17, and18 are pictures showing the degree of agglomeration of the tobaccogranules after smoking and show experimental results relating to Example4 (in which the tobacco granules were added with a filling rate of about50 vol %), Example 1 (in which the tobacco granules were added with afilling rate of about 75 vol %), and Example 5 (in which the tobaccogranules were added with a filling rate of about 100 vol %),respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 16 to 18 , it was found that the higher the fillingrate of the tobacco granules, the higher the degree of agglomeration ofthe tobacco granules. For example, the degree of agglomeration of thetobacco granules according to Example 4 that were added with a fillingrate of about 50 vol % was found to be significantly lower than thedegree of agglomeration of the tobacco granules according to Example 5that were added with a filling rate of about 100 vol %. This is becauseairflow is promoted with a decrease in the filling rate as an emptyspace in the cavity segment (e.g., 212) increases, which raises theprobability of vortex generation. From such experimental results, it canbe seen that it is preferable for the tobacco granules to be added witha filling rate of about 75 vol % or lower or about 80 vol % or lower.

Experimental Example 4: Evaluation of Influence of Thickness and Shapeof Heating Element on Degree of Damage to Filter Segment

Since the fall-off of tobacco granules may be accelerated with anincrease in the degree of damage to filter segments, an experiment wasconducted to evaluate an influence of the thickness and shape of aninternal heating element (e.g., 132) on the degree of damage to a filtersegment (e.g., 213). Specifically, an experiment was conducted bychecking the degree of damage to the filter segment of the cigaretteaccording to Example 1 while varying the thickness and shape of theinternal heating element. The experimental results are shown in FIGS. 19to 21 . FIGS. 19 to 21 are pictures of cross-sections of the filtersegment (e.g., 213) penetrated by the internal heating element and showexperimental results relating to a semi-conical heating element having athickness of about 2 mm, a cylindrical (bar-shaped) heating elementhaving a thickness of about 2 mm, and a cylindrical heating elementhaving a thickness of about 3 mm, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21 , it can be seen that the thicker thethickness of the heating element, the higher the degree of damage to thefilter segment. From this, it can be seen that it is preferable for theheating element to have a thickness less than about 3 mm in order tominimize damage to the filter segment and the fall-off of the tobaccogranules.

Also, it can be seen that it is preferable to use a heating elementhaving a sharp shape such as a semi-conical shape, rather than a heatingelement having a cylindrical shape, in order to minimize damage to thefilter segment.

For reference, it was confirmed that, when the thickness of the heatingelement was about 4 mm or more, the filter segment was pushed uponinsertion of the heating element, making it difficult to insert theheating element, and the degree of damage to the filter segment furtherincreased.

The configurations and effects of the tobacco granules 214 and/or theaerosol-generating article 2 have been described in more detail aboveusing the examples and experimental examples.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above withreference to the accompanying drawings, but those of ordinary skill inthe art to which the present disclosure pertains should understand thatthe present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutchanging the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore,the embodiments described above should be understood as beingillustrative, instead of limiting, in all aspects. The scope of thepresent disclosure should be interpreted according to the claims below,and any technical spirit within the scope equivalent to the claimsshould be interpreted as falling within the scope of the technicalspirit defined by the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tobacco rod comprising: a first filter segment;a second filter segment; and a cavity segment which is formed by thefirst filter segment and the second filter segment and filled with atobacco material, wherein at least one of the first filter segment andthe second filter segment includes a paper material that isgrease-resistant or water-resistant.
 2. The tobacco rod of claim 1,wherein the paper material is a material whose measurement valueaccording to a 3 M Kit Test is 5 or more.
 3. The tobacco rod of claim 1,wherein both the first filter segment and the second filter segmentinclude the paper material that is grease-resistant or water-resistant.4. The tobacco rod of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material includestobacco granules.
 5. The tobacco rod of claim 4, wherein: a density ofthe tobacco granules is in a range of 0.5 g/cm³ to 1.2 g/cm³; and adiameter of the tobacco granules is in a range of 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm. 6.The tobacco rod of claim 4, wherein: a filling rate of the tobaccogranules in the cavity segment is 80 vol % or lower; and the firstfilter segment is disposed downstream of the cavity segment and hasresistance to draw in a range of 50 mmH₂O/60 mm to 150 mmH₂O/60 mm. 7.An aerosol-generating article that is used with an aerosol generationdevice, the aerosol-generating article comprising: a tobacco rodincluding a first filter segment, a second filter segment, and a cavitysegment which is formed by the first filter segment and the secondfilter segment and filled with a tobacco material; and a filter rod,wherein at least one of the first filter segment and the second filtersegment includes a paper material that is grease-resistant orwater-resistant.
 8. The aerosol-generating article of claim 7, whereinthe filter rod includes a cooling segment and a mouthpiece segment. 9.The aerosol-generating article of claim 7, wherein: the aerosolgeneration device includes a cartridge configured to store anaerosol-forming agent and a cartridge heater part configured to heat thecartridge to generate an aerosol; and the aerosol generation device hasan airflow path formed to allow the generated aerosol to pass throughthe aerosol-generating article.
 10. The aerosol-generating article ofclaim 9, wherein: the aerosol generation device further includes aheater part configured to heat the aerosol-generating article; and theheater part includes a heating element disposed to heat only the cavitysegment from outside.